Tom Waits
Franks Wild Years
60s 70s brand new vinyl 180 gram pressing of this great album'frank's wild years' by kathleen brennan and tom waits had its theatrical debut with the steppenwolf theater company in chicago illinois on june 22 1986 ostensibly a 'concept' piece about the strange adventures of a ne'erdowell named frank 'frank's wild years' is an album full of masterfully written songs and brilliant arrangements whether one follows the conceptual thread or not this final album in the loose trilogy that began with 'swordfishtrombones' expands upon the advances of its predecessors both in terms of hazy dreamlike imagery and eclectic exotic instrumentation waits is nothing if not theatrical and he plays a wide range of characters here on the uproarious 'straight to the top' he's a gonzo lounge singer on 'innocent when you dream' he's an oldworld balladeer after too many whiskeys he dons the preacher's cloak for 'down in the hole' warning of the devil's powers and he braves the top of his range for an unearthly shriek on 'temptation' buoyed by the angular eccentric accompaniment of mark ribot michael blair and others he rides an oddly wrought multicoloured train to musical glory